A plug connector of this type is known e.g. from DE 196 07 381 C2, which relates to a plug connector according to the Rast 5-Standard. Plug connectors of this type according to the invention can also be provided according to the Rast 2.5-Standard, which differ from the preceding plug connectors substantially only through the width of the contact pattern.
Plug connectors according to the Rast 5- or the Rast 2.5-Standard have become widely used in particular in electrical household- and kitchen appliances, heating system controls and internal system wiring solutions in the automotive industry.
Such plug connectors typically comprise a plug (second contact support) and a plug socket (first contact support), typically in a multi-pole configuration respectively. The term “plug” thus refers to the configuration of the “male” contact component, wherein the “socket” comprises “female” contact components. Since the socket is the component which is e.g. inserted into contact sections of a circuit board or onto a multi-pin strip in the major number of the Rast-plug connectors used on the market, the socket is subsequently designated as plug socket. Consequently, also circuit boards, multi-pin strips are similar are considered as plugs or plug devices according to the invention.
In order to assure an assembly of plug device and plug socket, which is safe against polarity reversal, both components comprise coding devices. In particular for a polarity safe attachment at circuit boards, their coding devices are configured as circuit board recesses or incisions in the contact portion of the circuit board, which vary with respect to their position, length and width. For each coding of a plug section of a circuit board, a mating plug socket is fabricated, whose housing forms coding walls mating with the recesses.
Color coding is used as a supplement for said form of mechanical coding quite frequently. Color markings are disposed at the plug devices, which are configured as adhesive labels, color bars or as colored plug socket housings. Thus, it is indicated for the assembly process that plug sockets, which are identified accordingly, have to be inserted onto the plug devices, e.g. the circuit board, at a location with identical color. Thus, the color marking can be configured as a supplemental optical, quasi redundant coding for unmistakable joining of plug socket and plug device, or it can be used for coding mechanically identically coded plug sockets or plug devices for additional differentiation.
The mechanical coding and the color coding have proven to be particularly advantageous, since a quasi error free assembly, this means a polarity reversal safe assembly of plug device and plug socket is assured. Meanwhile, however, the perception is that the fabrication of such plug connectors requires improvement.
In production, respective batches with a certain mechanical and/or color coding are fabricated. Thereafter setup times are required at the fabrication equipment for fabricating a batch with a different mechanical and/or color coding. As long as the color coding is performed by means of adhesive labels or color bars, this is a process step in need of improvement as well.